Apart from cooling air for circulation within a home or commercial facility, centralized air conditioners also produce condensate as a byproduct. Such condensate is created from the cooling of humid air, typically drawn from outside of the home or facility, upon treatment by the central air conditioner. Most modern central air conditioning systems include a condensate drain which collects this byproduct for removal outside of the home or facility. Such condensate drains often include a drain line which creates a conduit for removing condensate byproduct from the centralized air conditioner to a lawn, gutter or sewage treatment system.
One of the more common problems with centralized air conditioners is the frequent clogging of condensate drains. Typically, the clogging stems from the build-up of debris in the form of organic matter such as mold—which can include pathogens and bacteria. Such debris (aka “slime”) typically builds over time, due to the warm and moist conditions within the condensate drain. This build up creates not only a health hazard but also may cause the air conditioning system to malfunction and fail. Accumulation of debris within condensate drains is known to cause colds, increase risk of asthma, cause fatigue, increased allergies, and even risk of Legionnaire's disease (Legionella bacteria).
Often, central air conditioning systems include a sensor in the event that a closed condensate drain risks back up of condensate byproduct. These sensors will effectively shut down and render the air conditioning system inoperable—until the line is unclogged and treated. This protocol ensures that the back-up would not ultimately cause a catastrophic failure of the air conditioning system.
Once the air conditioning system shuts down, current methods require that the condensate drain be manually cleaned. This can require the use of hoses, air pressure or snakes to be introduced to the condensate line to remove the obstruction or occlusion causing the back-up. Often, this will require the services of a service technician. The result is a temporary loss of air conditioning and a risk of mold growth within the home, as well as the costs associated with hiring the service technician.
Moreover, removing an obstruction within a condensate drain through manual effort fails to prevent future clogs. In many cases future clogs will return—as the same conditions typically exist for additional accumulation of debris (i.e., humidity, warm temperatures, low light). The result is routine manual maintenance of these condensate drains, which typically requires spending hundreds of dollars every year on hiring service technicians. This especially holds true in humid and warm climates like the Southeast United States.
The location and positioning of these condensate drains based upon modern construction standards only further complicates these issues. Many condominium and townhouses are now constructed to hide the condensate drains within the walls—and often the load bearing walls—of these dwellings. This makes it difficult if not impossible to replace these condensate drains. Accordingly, this makes routine maintenance of these systems even more important.
Currently, the main form of home treatment for condensate drains is use of strong chemicals like BenzylAmmonium Chloride. These strong chemicals are placed within tablets which are placed within the condensate pan, for absorption by the condensate byproduct—which in turn will treat debris throughout the condensate drain. One of the several drawbacks of employing these strong chemicals is two-fold. First, the chemicals create a large safety hazard. For example, BenzylAmmonium Chloride is a corrosive on the MSDS and can cause shortness of breath and a burning sensation in the throat. Long term exposure can cause coughing or wheezing.
A second limitation is that as a corrosive BenzylAmmonium Chloride can actually degrade and eat through the walls of the condensate drain after prolonged use. This in turn would limit the longevity of the condensate drain and require a full replacement (which may be difficult due to positioning within load bearing walls).
Accordingly, there is a need in the art of sanitizing condensate drains for a robust, safe and non-toxic form of cleaning. Moreover, such system should avoid the need for service technicians and be accomplished automatically. Finally, such a system should avoid using toxic chemicals or surfactants.